Chocolate Cookie Recipes (Fun to Make With the Kids)

One of the best ways to make memories with your children or grandchildren is to allow them in the kitchen with you. Kids love to bake and they enjoy eating and sharing with others the goodies they make. It is also a fun learning experience for them, one they don't even realize is a lesson. Organing ingredients, following the instructions in the recipe, working together to make something special, and don't forget clean-up. It is important for children to learn that after the fun, there is clean-up to be done.

If you work it right, they will even think that is part of the fun. Counting and measuring is also a good math lesson. So don't try to keep your children out of the kitchen. Invite them in and have fun together. Homemade Chocolate Sandwich Cookies is a recipe they will love as they get to put the cookies and filling together to make "sandwiches". They may not get them perfect but life is not about perfection in everything. You aren't trying to make a masterpiece, just a cookie! And the kids will love dunking the Chocolate Dunk Cookies in the chocolate mixture. Note: When baking with chocolate and children, be sure they wear aprons, smocks, or older clothing.

Cookie Bake

HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE SANDWICH COOKIES

This recipe is from an old Midwestern State church cookbook.

1/2 cup butter or oleo
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup milk
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsps baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cocoa

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix all ingredients together in the order given. Beat until smooth. Drop by rounded teaspoon on buttered cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 7 minutes. Do not over bake. Cool and make sandwiches using the filling recipe below.

Marshmallow Filling:

1/2 cup white shortening
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup marshmallow cream
1 tsp vanilla
3 or 4 tsps milk (adjust amount for the right consistency)

Cream shortening and sugar together and mix in rest of the ingredients. Spread between cookies and make sandwiches. Wrap individually in plastic wrap to store so they won't stick together.

CHOCOLATE DUNK COOKIES

1 3/4 cups flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

8 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate, divided

3/4 cup margarine, softened

2 tbsp firmly packed Splenda brown sugar blend OR 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3/4 cup SPLENDA granular

1/4 cup egg substitute

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In small mixing bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Coarsely chop 5 squares of the chocolate and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat margarine, brown sugar, and SPLENDA with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg substitute and vanilla extract; mix well. Gradually add flour mixture to egg mixture beating until blended. Stir in chopped chocolate and nuts. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Dough drops should be two inches apart. Bake 11 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 1 minute before removing from cookie sheets. Cool completely on wire racks. Melt 3 squares of chocolate in microwave as directed on package. Dip one half of each cookie into the melted chocolate. Place in single layer on waxed paper and let set until chocolate is set.

Note: This recipe uses some ingredients that make it diabetic friendly. You can make the following changes, if you do not have diabetics in your family: Substitute 1 egg for the egg substitute and 3/4 cup granulated sugar for the Splenda granular.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Cookie Recipes (Fun to Make With the Kids)

For more of Linda's recipes and diabetic information go to http://diabeticenjoyingfood.squarespace.com

For her vintage recipes, visit http://grandmasvintagerecipes.blogspot.com

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Quick and Easy Cookie Recipes - Drop Sugar Cookies and White Chip Apricot Oatmeal Cookies

If you love homemade cookies but you just don't have a lot of time to indulge in baking, here are some cookie recipes for you. Maybe you are a young mother who works or just doesn't have a lot of free time, yet you would love to bake with your children as your mother and/or grandmother did with you. These recipes are perfect for you. Drop Sugar Cookies allow you to make delicious sugar cookies without rolling, cutting and decorating. And the White Chip Apricot Oatmeal Cookies take oatmeal cookies to a new level! So get out the ingredients, grab the kiddos and have some baking fun.

DROP SUGAR COOKIES

Cookie Bake

2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar + additional sugar for topping
2/3 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well. In a large bowl, using a wire whisk, whisk eggs until blended. Add sugar, oil, vanilla, and lemon zest; mix well. Stir the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until well blended. Chill, covered, for at least 30 minutes. Drop cookie dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about two inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Mist the bottom of a 3-inch flat-bottom glass with water and dip glass in additional sugar. Press tops of cookies lightly with the glass, misting with water and dipping into sugar for each cookie. Bake cookies until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for two minutes then remove to wire racks to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container.

WHITE CHIP APRICOT OATMEAL COOKIES

3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
10-oz pkg Hershey's Premier White Chips
3/4 cup dried apricots

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl until fluffy. Add egg and beat well. Add flour and baking soda; beat until well blended. Stir in oats, white chips and apricots. Loosely form rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 7 to 9 minutes or just until lightly browned. Do not overbake! Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

Enjoy!

Quick and Easy Cookie Recipes - Drop Sugar Cookies and White Chip Apricot Oatmeal Cookies

For more Quick and Easy Recipes visit http://grandmasquickfixrecipes.blogspot.com

For more "Sweet Treats" visit http://ladybugssweettreats.blogspot.com

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How Do You Make Crunchy No Bake Cookies?

One of the most common questions people ask is: 'How do you make crunchy no bake cookies?' Most people have no problems making wonderful, soft, gooey, cookies, but, when it comes to great tasting crunchy no bake cookies, there are a lot of failed recipes.

The remedy is simple. If you want a crunchy texture to come out, you have to put something crunchy in. But first, a clear distinction needs to be made between the desired crunchy texture of a perfect cookie, and, the hard, teeth-chipping texture when your cookies have been over cooked. So, first and foremost, do not overheat any of your ingredients and you won't be left with hard, inedible cookies.

Cookie Bake

There are lots of ingredients that can be added to cookies to provide a crunchy texture. If you like nuts, a couple of ounces of chopped walnuts, almonds, or, Brazil nuts will add crunch. A little trick of mine is to use my coffee grinder to chop up my nuts - why buy another grinder when you already have one?

If you don't eat nuts, or don't have any available, a handful of cereal can add crunch, and flavor, to your cookies. Rice Krispies, and Frosted Corn Flakes are two of the most popular additions.

Adding crunchy peanut butter will work, as will putting some graham crackers in the blender (or coffee grinder)for a couple of seconds. You can also crumble some vanilla wafers to add to your cookies. The key thing you need to remember is that most of the items mentioned here contain a lot of sugar, so, just reduce the amount of sugar called for in the recipe otherwise the cookies may be overly sweet.

This recipe is an old favorite of mine. The cookies have lots of crunch and are a welcome change to the standard oatmeal and peanut butter no bake cookies

No Bake Rice Krispie & Date Nut Cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup Sugar
1 Egg- beaten
1 cup chopped Dates
2 cups Rice Krispies
1/2 cup chopped nuts (any variety)
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
1 pinch Salt (can be omitted)
1/2 pack shredded Coconut,

Put the butter, sugar, egg and dates in a saucepan and heat on medium high for five minutes, stirring constantly. Let stand until lukewarm. Mix the Rice Krispies, nuts, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl and add the cooled liquid. Fold the mixture together and then form into small balls. Finish by rolling in coconut and making a pyramid display on a nice china sweet plate.

How Do You Make Crunchy No Bake Cookies?

They are perfect accompaniment to a nice cup of tea or coffee, Rice Krispie & Date Nut cookies also make a great dessert for a Fresh Shrimp Salad.

Are you getting bored with no bake oatmeal and peanut butter cookies? Why not try out some of the great secret recipes for no bake cookies and desserts that use neither ingredient?

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Christmas Cookie Recipes - Bake Your Own

Christmas is a time for families; one way you will be able to get the whole family involved is in baking Christmas cookies, children absolutely love helping out in the kitchen at Christmas time. Whether it is just for the family or you wish to bake for guests or a party. Baking your own cookies make for a great treat for kids, guests or as an additional plate at any Christmas party table.

Baking cookies with children is great fun and is quick and easy. So here is a recipe that is worth baking that you can make with your children and keep them out of trouble for a short while.

Cookie Bake

Colorful fun Christmas cookies where you can let your kids do the thumb work.

Thumbprint Cookies:

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla essence

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 1/2 cups flour (more if dough seems too thin)

finely chopped pecans, almonds, you can substitute these for other nuts, or rolled oats

Jam

To make:

Beat the butter with an electric whisk at medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar, vanilla flavoring, almond extract, and flour blending well. Chill the resulting dough for 2 1/2 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and roll the dough into small balls, then roll in the chopped nuts; place on lightly greased cookie sheets.

Make an indention in the center of each cookie and fill with jam (substitute for a cherry as an alternative). Bake at

300°F for about 25 to 35 minutes, or until firm and lightly browned on the bottom.

Recipe makes about 6 dozen cookies.

If you are unable to finish the cookies in one sitting, you can always put the rest in a cookie jar. Just remember they always taste better when they are fresh because they tend to taste different after a few days.

Gently remove the cookies from the baking sheet, if you are having trouble removing the cookies, it will be handy to have a spatula handy.

Christmas Cookie Recipes - Bake Your Own

For more great quick and easy Delicious Cookie Ideas, just visit Christmas Cookie Recipes.

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Snowy Day Activity: Bake Cookies

Here in New England, it is bitter cold outside but inside, we are warming things up.

A staple in our refrigerator is premade peanut butter cookie dough which is perfect for last minute activities. It is shaped into a log and perfect for just cutting into slices or rolling out to use with cookie cutters. The local craft stores have buckets of 100s of plastic cookie cutters that are perfect all year, with numbers, shapes, letters, and holiday themes. This keeps shapes and cookies new and exciting with so many different cutters to choose from.

Cookie Bake

Let the fun begin, out comes the big jar of flour, the cutting boards (in the hopes of containing the mess), aprons, the cookie dough, and the cutters. Each twin has their own work area and baking sheet so there is no confusion as to who baked what cookies.

Instead of using a rolling pin, we just use small pieces of dough and the twins smash it with their hands. Once it is flat enough, they pick a cookie cutter and smash it into the dough. After a couple twists and turns, and the help of mommy, it is carefully placed on the cookie sheet and ready for the oven. After we repeat this a couple times and their cookie sheets are full of different cookies, into the oven they go. Watching the cookies bake is almost as fun as it is cutting them out!

Once they are out of the oven and cooled, the next part of our kitchen fun starts - decorating them. A trick that has worked for us is to give each twin a small bag of icing. Then cut a corner off and instantly they have a decorating bag that helps to eliminate some of the mess. We also use colored sprinkles, sugar crystals, and other decorations that are appropriate for the season.

When everyone is finished decorating, we all get a glass of milk and enjoy one (or two) cookies!

Snowy Day Activity: Bake Cookies

Kristen is a stay at home mom with three year old twins. Prior to having her twins, she was a kindergarten teacher and knows the importance of making learning fun. She is sharing her everyday life of raising twins. Lets connect at http://www.thedoublescoop.com

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Cookie Making Made Easy

Baking is as important as making, if perfect small cakes are desired. Ovens differ. Use the various temperatures given in the recipes as a guide. But perfect your own baking temperatures, according to the best results obtained from your oven. In using an electric oven, after the oven registers the correct heat, turn the top element off. Bake with the top element turned off. Use block tin baking sheets for the best results. The pans should not touch the walls of the oven. Most cookies burn easily. Especially is this true of cookies made of molasses and cookies made with no milk. Cookies must be watched constantly. Turn the pans frequently, while baking, to insure even browning. If you are not experienced do not start baking until all the cookies are on the baking sheets. Grease the pans with butter. This gives the good buttery taste that is necessary for choice cookies. Place the cookies on the pans, allowing space for them to spread. After each pan of cookies is baked wipe off the baking sheet with a piece of heavy brown paper, slightly greased. Washing the pans between bakings has a tendency to cause cakes to stick. This is particularly true of rolled cookies. Never put a cookie on a hot pan. Never pile the cookies on top of each other to cool. Cool on sheets of brown paper.

The American method of baking is quick baking. The cookies are not allowed to dry out. For quick baking put the cookies into a 450° F. oven and reduce the temperature as needed. If hard cookies are desired, after the cookies are baked the temperature is reduced to 250° F. and the cakes are allowed to stay in the oven to dry out. The Northern European method of baking is slow baking. This makes a crisper harder cookie. The temperatures should be 350° F. to 275° F. Measure accurately. Use standard cup and spoon measures. Always measure flour before sifting unless the recipe says: measure after sifting. The amount varies several tablespoonfuls before and after sifting. Measuring the fat is important for the best results. Cutters are on the market to cut pound cakes of butter or lard into cupfuls or portions of cupfuls. These are convenient as a labor saver, as well as a means of accurate measurement. Pastry blenders are also on the market. These are particularly useful in blending butter into flour and sugar, in cookie making. The use of the blender prevents the fat from becoming oily, as it frequently does when the blending is done with the hands. A large rubber plate scraper, with flexible points, is an indispensable kitchen implement in cookie making. Use the scraper for removing mixed ingredients from bowls. It prevents waste and insures accuracy. An approximate estimate of the number of cookies a recipe makes is arrived at by the amount of flour used. For example, Virginia Cookies, calling for one and one-half cups of flour makes about thirty cakes the size of a twenty-five cent piece.

Cookie Bake

Here are two cookie recipes for you to try.

GINGERBREAD CAKE

Sift together
10 cups flour
2 tbsp. Ginger
1 nutmeg grated
1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
1 cup molasses
1/2 cup cream

Blend the butter into the flour. Heat the molasses, sugar and cream together. Add the hot liquid to the flour. Knead to a smooth stiff dough. Roll thin and cut into large round cakes. Bake at 400° F. for about eight minutes.

SHREWSBURY CAKE

This cookie recipe came to America with our first grandmothers, back in the days when English gentlemen were sent to colonial Virginia to sit in the House of Burgesses. One day, if luck smiles upon you, you will drop into a mountain cabin in North Carolina and a venerable grandmother will serve you a cup of tea poured from an ancient silver pot. Then she will bring out little tea biscuits, which she still calls Shrewsbury cakes, and which she still makes by her famous old recipe.

Sift together
8 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tbs coriander seed powder

1/2 cup of milk
11/2cups butter melted
6 eggs unbeaten

Add the butter, milk and eggs to the flour. Mix well and knead to a smooth dough. Roll very thin, cut into small shapes and bake at 400° F. until light brown.

Cookie Making Made Easy

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Making Cookies With The Kids - A Fun Way To Spend Quality Time

Are you looking for something fun to do with the kids this afternoon? Bake a batch of warm, gooey cookies. Not only is it a lot of fun to make these sweet treats together, eating them afterwards is just as much fun.

Use this time to talk and reconnect with your kids. Stirring a batch of chocolate chip dough is a great time to talk about what's going on at school, how their friends are doing etc. You'll be surprised how much you can learn about your kids life in this relaxed, laid back atmosphere, which brings up a good point...

Cookie Bake

Keep it fun and relaxed. So what if there's flour all over the counter and floor. It won't take you more than a few minutes to sweep up the mess after you are done baking. This is a fun family activity, not a lesson in proper baking. Have fun together and don't worry about the mess. In fact, a little flour fight may be in order.

Give your child a job or two in making the cookies. This could be measuring ingredients, helping you count how many eggs you added to the batter, and of course lots of stirring help. Use an extra large bowl when you are baking with younger kids. This will allow them to stir the batter without half the dough slinging out.

Cutout sugar cookies are a lot of fun for toddlers and preschoolers. You can pick up an assortment of all kinds of cookie cutter shapes at your local discount or craft store. Have them pick a few of their favorite shapes, then put them to work cutting out cookies from dough you rolled out.

Of course these cookies will need decorating. Mix milk and powdered sugar to make a sweet, sticky paste. Give your child a pastry brush to brush this glue on the baked and cooled cookies, then let them decorate with sprinkles or small candies.

Last but by no means least, pour each of you a tall glass of milk and enjoy your freshly baked cookies together.

Making Cookies With The Kids - A Fun Way To Spend Quality Time

For some great cookie recipes for kids [http://www.kinderinfo.com/recipes/cookies.htm] and instructions on how to make a simple child apron visit Susanne’s parenting and kid-fun website at http://www.kinderinfo.com and sign up for her free newsletter today.

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3 Great Preschool Cookie Day Activities

December 4th is National Cookie Day. Kids love cookies and will be excited to try these preschool cookie day activities. Try baking and decorating cookies with your children. Read stories about cookies and talk about which are their favorite kind of cookies.

Baking Cookies

Cookie Bake

If possible, bake some cookies with your children. Have the kids read the recipe and help measure the ingredients. Let the kids mix the dough together. You can find basic sugar cookie recipes in any cook book or on the Internet. The kids can spoon the dough onto cookie sheets. Have them use enough dough to make larger cookies, since they will be decorating them.

Once the cookies have cooled, the kids will enjoy decorating them. Provide icing and large craft sticks for spreading the icing on the cookies. Let them decorate the cookies with sprinkles or a variety of candies. If desired, have them make cookie faces with the candy. When they have finished, take a picture of each child with his or her creation. Display the pictures on the class bulletin board.

Play Dough Cookies

Make a batch of home made play dough. A good basic play dough recipe: one cup of flour, 1/4 cup of salt, one cup water and one table spoon cream of tartar. Mix all the ingredients and cook over medium heat. Cook the mixture and stir until it forms a soft ball. Knead the dough and add some food coloring. You can split the batch and make two colors. For play dough cookies, use brown for chocolate, pink for strawberry or leave half the batch without coloring for an off white color that works well for cookies.

When the play dough has cooled, the kids will have fun pretending to make cookies. Give them a variety of cookie cutters and wooden dowels for rolling the dough. Plastic knives or craft sticks can be used to cut the dough shapes. This activity is fun and also good for fine motor development.

Cookie Tasting Party

Have a party and let your children taste a variety of cookies. Bring in sugar cookies, chocolate chips, oatmeal or any other variety of cookies. Consider trying a few unique cookie recipes from other cultures. If desired, ask parents to bake and bring in cookies from their native country. This will expose the children to other cultures while having fun tasting cookies.

Let the children taste some of each type of cookie. You can make a journal sheet with each type of cookie. The kids can note whether they liked each type or not. When they have finished tasting the cookies, talk about the results. Graph each child's responses on a large graph made from butcher's paper. Which flavor was most or least liked by the children?

3 Great Preschool Cookie Day Activities

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Simple Cookie Recipes for The Young and Old

Cookies have always been favorite baked products of both children and elders. They are also the preferred dessert for a dinner party or potluck gatherings. Nobody can resist the smell of baking homemade cookies. With the advent of simple cookie recipes, baking cookies is just as easy and quick as reciting your alphabet.

Some people are just crazy for cookies. There are variations in types of cookies that allow even people who are watching their diets to enjoy them. There are simple cookie recipes that use low carb ingredients as well as low fat or fat free ingredients.

Cookie Bake

Some types of cookies that you commonly find baking in many home kitchens are thumbprint cookies, chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies and peanut butter cookies. Mother and children find do their bonding while creating no bake cookies. Take a look at some simple cookie recipes that you may want to try the next time you plan on entertaining at home.

Sunflower Seed Butter Cookies:

This cookie recipe is a good substitute for peanut butter cookies. The ingredients are 2 cups of all purpose flour, a teaspoon of baking soda, 3/4 cup each of sugar, packed brown sugar, softened butter and cold sunflower seed butter, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, 2 large eggs and 1 and ½ teaspoons vanilla.

Preheat your oven to 275 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl, combine together baking soda, baking powder, flour and salt. In another mixing bowl, combine together and beat sunflower seed butter, sugar, butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Then add eggs and vanilla and beat to combine.

Gradually add the flour mixture and mix them well. Then wrap the dough in plastic food wrap and chill for about 3 hours. Roll dough into balls and placed on ungreased cookie sheet. Dip into the flour the back of a spoon or fork, then press in each cookie to flatten. Bake for 10 minutes and then allow to cool slightly before placing the cookies on wax paper or cooling rack.

Snickerdoodle Cookie:

Another must-bake recipe, this cookie needs ½ cup softened butter, a cup of sugar, ¼ teaspoon each of baking soda and cream of tartar, a large egg, 1 and ½ cups of all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon vanilla, 1 and ½ teaspoons of cinnamon and 4 tablespoons of granulated sugar.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, beat the butter for 30 seconds. Then add sugar, cream of tartar and baking soda. Combine together and beat well. Add egg and vanilla and beat well to blend. Also blend in the flour. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour. Combine the sugar and cinnamon. Roll the ball-shaped dough into the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat.

Then place the dough on an ungreased cookie sheet, making sure that each is 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 11 minutes and allow to cool before serving.

There are thousands of simple cookie recipes that you can try. Be creative when it comes to ingredients because the fun of baking cookies is substituting the usual ingredients and coming up with cookies that are more to your taste or suit the occasion.

Simple Cookie Recipes for The Young and Old

For additional Simple Cookie Recipes for your baking pleasure, pay a visit to http://www.simplecookierecipesonline.com.

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No Bake Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

This is a simple peanut butter cookie recipe that involves no baking at all, it combines peanut butter with oatmeal. There are several other types of no bake recipes that call for cornflakes. I prefer the ones with oatmeal, it is all based on preference, and I like the texture of the oatmeal best.

2 Tablespoons of butter

Cookie Bake

1/4 cup cocoa

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 Pinch of salt

1 Teaspoon of pure vanilla bean paste

1 Tablespoon of peanut butter

1 1/2 cups uncooked oatmeal

First you will get your ingredients all scaled out and a mixing bowl. You will then melt the butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds, you will take it out of the microwave and give it a stir. You will then add the cocoa and start to stir in the cocoa until it is mixed in well. You will then add the sugar, milk and salt and stir all of the added ingredients together. The next thing you will add is the vanilla bean paste, peanut butter, and oatmeal. You will thoroughly combine, and mix the entire ingredients well. You will then take a Tablespoon and spoon out into your hand forming the dough balls into the cookie shape. You will want a baking sheet with parchment for adding the cookies to the sheet. You will put them onto the parchment paper and let them hang out for a while until they have fully set. This should make about 12 cookies.

So, if you are feeding more than your family and are having a dinner party or large family gathering you will need to double the recipe, or even multiply for a larger number to give you the amount you will need for your event.

This is an easy recipe to make, and of course it is a no bake recipe. So if it is during the winter months, and your children are stirring about the house. There is inclement weather outside. This is a great recipe for you to do something together, and for you to both be rewarded at the end.

If you are into protein bars, and are the avid athlete, this will be a bar for you as well. Add some fruit and nuts to this recipe, and you will have a bar that is great tasting, good for you, and will provide you energy for your fun filled adventure as well. Enjoy!

No Bake Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

Chef Shelley Pogue, a Cum Laude, Le Cordon Blue graduate and Executive Research and Development Chef, for Vertical Sales and Marketing, San Ramon, CA. Shelley is also the desserts editor for http://www.BellaOnline.com

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Favorite Cookies - The Effects of Baking Recipes From Scratch

When baking cookies it's all too easy to open a roll of Pillsbury dough and lay it on the pan to bake within minutes. Have you ever taken the time to think about what is in these easy to bake cookies? The preservatives, the sugars, the additives, the coloring? It can't be healthy for you.

The best thing for yourself and your family is to make foods from scratch as much as possible. It's healthier and it tastes better. Try getting recipes for ingredients and make your own. You'd be surprised as to how much money you can save in the process. When baking cookies, breads and other desserts you'll find ingredients such as brown sugar, butterscotch, caramel, marshmallow, fruits and others. By making many of these ingredients from scratch or using the real thing you get a healthier quality product as well as a better tasting dessert. Who doesn't want a better tasting dessert?

Cookie Bake

Making your own brown sugar is as simple as mixing molasses with sugar and you can make light brown sugar or dark brown sugar by adjusting how much molasses you use. It's much less expensive than buying brown sugar or dark brown sugar. The ingredients for making your own butterscotch, caramel, and marshmallow are very inexpensive consisting of sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla. If you buy butterscotch or caramel to to put in your recipes, you will spend much more than you intend to.

You probably don't have time to bake from scratch like this, but if you do it is well worth it.

You can easily get recipes for many ingredients on the web and it would be well worth your time and effort to research these ideas. Your health will benefit as will the quality and flavor of your desserts.

Favorite Cookies - The Effects of Baking Recipes From Scratch

Jessica Blanck writes on marketing and business related issues referring to baking. You can learn more by visiting my blog, Chloe's Cookie Corner at http://chloescookiecorner.blogspot.com

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Never Burn The Bottoms of Your Cookies Again!

If you are like me, you love to bake cookies, but hate the all-too-familiar problem of burning the bottoms. During the past couple of years, I have discovered some techniques that have ended my burnt cookie bottoms frustrations. I know these techniques will work for you as well. Happy baking!

Oven Temperature

Cookie Bake

The first step on how not to burn cookies is to make sure your oven temperature is accurate by checking it with an oven thermometer. I bought one recently at a discount store for under .00. If your oven thermometer does not match your oven temperature setting, you will want to have your oven calibrated.

Oven's Center Rack

Bake cookies on the oven's center rack only. By using the oven's center rack, your cookies will receive the same amount of heat on both sides of the cookies.

Baking or Pizza Stones

Bake cookies on flat baking or pizza stones. Baking stones are available at most specialty kitchen stores or online. They are much better for baking cookies than any metal pan because they are porous and allow air to circulate evenly through your cookies while they are baking.

Scoops

I recommend using scoops instead of spoons or your hands for placing cookie dough onto the baking stones. These are also available at most specialty kitchen stores or online. The scoops ensure your cookies will be the same size and will be beautifully round when they are baked. They also make releasing the cookie dough onto the baking stones easier than using spoons or your hands.

Parchment Paper

Always use parchment paper when baking cookies. Using parchment paper keeps your baking stones clean for easier clean-up. More importantly, it allows you to easily remove the cookies from the stone to the wire cooling racks without messing up the beautiful round shape of the cookies. Once the cookies are completely cooled, they easily peel from the parchment paper. No more scraping cookies!

Never Burn The Bottoms of Your Cookies Again!

Monica Brooks is a full-time Mom and cookie connoisseur. She is the author of The Guaranteed No Burnt Bottoms Cookies Cookbook available at [http://www.NoBurntBottoms.com]. She lives in the Louisville, Kentucky area with her husband and two children.

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Old Fashion Recipes For Baking on Cold Winter Days

Now that winter has set in and with it the long, cold, often rainy or snowy days, it is time to warm your home and hearth with some delicious baked goods. Here is a good selection of recipes from my vintage collection that would be perfect to make with the kids or just by yourself to share later. The Applesauce Raisin Muffins would make good after-school treats, lunchbox items, or breakfast treats with a hot drink and some yogurt for protein. The mint cookies are great to make with the kids and they remind you of the famous Girl Scout Mint Cookies. The Lacy Oatmeal Wafer Cookies are Swedish cookies known as Havreflarn in Sweden. They are easy but fancy. How about letting the kids help you make Homemade Granola Bars they can have as treats or take in their lunchboxes. Kids love eating something they helped to make. So get out the flour, sugar, etc, don an apron and get started on that baking!

HOMEMADE GRANOLA BARS

Cookie Bake

3 1/2 cups oats
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup raisins
2/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup honey
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 can cherry pie filling

Spread oats in a jellyroll pan and toast in a 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. In a large bowl, mix oats, nuts, and raisins. Melt butter in saucepan. Add honey, egg, vanilla, salt, brown sugar, and pie filling. Stir into oat mixture. Press firmly into greased jelly roll pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool, cut into squares.

QUICK AND EASY MINT COOKIES

This recipe was passed out at a Christmas Open House at a local flower shop in Southern Indiana years ago. These cookies are very simple and they will remind you of the "Girl Scout" Mint Cookies.

Melt 1 pound semisweet chocolate coating. Add 6 drops of oil of peppermint flavoring and mix well to blend. Dip Ritz crackers till well coated and place them on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet to set. Store in an airtight container and keep in a cool place until ready to serve.

LACY OATMEAL WAFER COOKIES

This is a cookie recipe from Sweden. It is known as Havreflarn in Sweden.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
2 tbsp cream

Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add flour, sugar, oats, and cream. Cook, stirring constantly, just until mixture starts to bubble. Remove from the heat and stir briskly for a few seconds. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls about 4-inches apart onto well greased and lightly floured baking sheets. Place only 5 or 6 cookies on a baking sheet at a time. Bake at 375 degrees five to six minutes until golden brown. Cool wafers for 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove carefully from baking sheet with a thin spatula and place over rolling pin until firm. If cookies harden before they can be removed from pan, reheat in oven for a few seconds to soften again. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.

APPLESAUCE RAISIN MUFFINS

1 large egg
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup raisins

Beat together the egg, oil and applesauce. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, and cinnamon; beat well. Stir in raisins. Spoon batter into oiled and floured muffin tins. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until firm to the touch and browned. Cool on wire racks. Delicious topped with cream cheese!

Note: This is a soft and spicy muffin. Very good.

Enjoy!

Old Fashion Recipes For Baking on Cold Winter Days

For more of Linda's recipes and diabetic information go to http://diabeticenjoyingfood.squarespace.com

For her vintage recipes, visit http://grandmasvintagerecipes.blogspot.com

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No-Bake Cookies and Cream Cheesecake

A good cookies and cream cheesecake is like a good Sunday nap. You can live without it... but why would you ever want to?

Well, this cookies and cream cheesecake is a fantastic blend of the Oreos we all know and love, plus the creamy texture of a delicious cheesecake. The best part is that this recipe is "no-bake" which means no oven required. It is a perfect answer to dessert on a hot summer night!

Cookie Bake

Just pop this no-bake cookies and cream cheesecake into the fridge and soon you'll be ready to enjoy it!

INGREDIENTS:

24 chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreos), finely crumbled, about 2 cups

6 tablespoons margarine, room temperature

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

1/4 cup cold water

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup milk

1 cup heavy cream, whipped

Coarsely crumbled chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreos), about 1 to 1 1/2 cups

DIRECTIONS:

1) Combine fine cookie crumbs and soft margarine; press into bottom of 9-inch springform pan. In a saucepan, soften gelatin in cold water; stir over low heat until dissolved. In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar, mixing at medium speed of an electric hand-held mixer until well blended. Gradually add gelatin mixture and milk, mixing until well blended.

2) Chill until mixture is thickened but not set; fold in whipped cream. Reserve 1 1/2 cup cream cheese mixture; pour remaining cream cheese mixture over crust. Top with coarsely crumbled cookies then remaining cream cheese mixture. Chill until firm.

Once your simple cheesecake is complete, it is only a matter of time before it firms up and you can eat it. Although it may seem like a tedious and time-consuming task; in the end you will actually still save the time it would have taken to bake the cheesecake in the oven.

This cookies and cream cheesecake recipe is no-bake but all flavor!

No-Bake Cookies and Cream Cheesecake

For more delicious information on recipes be sure to visit http://www.cookies-n-cakes.com where you'll find tips on cookie recipes cakes, brownies, as well as other articles on cooking, baking, and kitchen products.

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How to Bake Beautiful Lavender Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients:
1. 3 tbsp fresh lavender flowers OR 1 1/2 tbsp dried lavender flowers ( Redman/Phoon Huat brand)
2. 1 cup butter ( leave to soften at room temp for about 10 mins)
3. 1/4 cup cornstarch
4. 1/2 cup icing sugar ( more if you have a sweet tooth)
5.1 tsp vanilla essence/vanilla extract
Makes approximately 30 or more cookies ( depending on the size of your cookies!)

Set oven at 170 deg c

Cookie Bake

Steps:
1. Cut up softened butter into smaller pieces using a knife
2. In a large mixing bowl, roughly mix together lavender flowers, softened butter, icing sugar and cornstarch using a spatula.
3. Place rough mixture into a food blender, and gently pulse the mixture. Stop blending and in small amounts, pour flour into the mixture in the food blender.
(NOTE: If the mixture becomes too caked up or dry, add in 4 tbsp of water, add water SPARINGLY)

4. Blend the ingredients till a ball of smooth dough forms.

5. Lay your work surface with a lightly floured grease paper and place the ball of blended dough onto the sheet and lightly knead the dough into a firm ball.

6. Wrap up the dough with the same grease paper and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
( NOTE: If you plan to make the dough in advance and serve it on another day, the dough can be frozen and thawed then baked in the oven on the day you wish to serve the shortbread cookies.)

7. After 30 minutes, take out the dough and let it thaw awhile.

8. Roll the thawed dough into a log shape using either your hands or using the existing grease paper.

9.With a sharp knife, cut the log into 1/2 inch rings so they come out as round, flat cookies.

10.Place the cut round cookie dough pieces onto a fresh piece of grease paper.

11. Place them in the oven at 160 deg c for 15 minutes.

(NOTE: Different ovens will have different heating styles so watch the cookies even as you set the time at 15 mins as they might burn before the stated time if you're not using a convection oven!)

Creative Suggestions/Ideas:
For kids' parties:
1. If you're baking these cookies with kids in mind, try coating the cookie surface with plain icing or coloured icing( recipe for cookie icing is below!)
2. cookies can be cute into various shapes using cookie cutters, simply roll out the thawed dough(step8) and use your hands or a lightly floured rolling pin to flatten out the dough into a sheet 1/2 inch thick) then use cookies cutters to cut out the desired shapes.
3. Using the icing as a food "glue", coat the cookie with icing, then dip the lavender cookies in rainbow sprinkles.

For formal high tea gatherings:
4. If you're baking it with adults in mind for a more serious high tea party, lavender cookies can be artfully outlined with icing sugar.( see below for icing sugar recipe)
5. Cookies can be cut out into simple heart shapes( see point 2) to give the lavender cookies a "chic" feel.
6. Serve the cookies with a light fragrant tea like green tea or chinese oolong tea. ( preferably no sugar added in the tea as this will override the delicate taste of the lavender cookies)

Icing Sugar Recipe:

1. 150g butter ( soften at room temperature for 10 minutes)
2. 250g confectioner's sugar
3. 1 tsp vanilla essence
4. 2 tsp water

Steps:
1. Beat the softened butter and sugar together with an electric mixer.
2.Once well-combined, add vanilla and water. Beat until smooth and creamy.

NOTE: All cookies that have been iced need to be stored in the fridge to prevent the baked products from going bad.

How to Bake Beautiful Lavender Shortbread Cookies

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Baking With Love - Classic Cookies

I firmly believe that baking is an expression of love. Of giving love in the purest sense. Giving of your time, talents and energies to create joy and happiness for others. Giving of a piece of yourself. Give some love this week. Bake one of these tasty cookie recipes. Then sit down with a glass of milk with someone you love. Share that baked treat and a piece of yourself. You might just be surprised by how far a plate full of cookies and an honest conversation can take you.

Gum Drop Oatmeal Cookies

Cookie Bake

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons milk

1 1/2 cups oatmeal

3/4 cup gum drops, cut up

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Mix well and set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening, brown sugar and white sugar. Add in the egg, vanilla extract and milk and mix well. Then add the dry ingredient mixture to this mixture. Add in the oatmeal and gum drops. Drop by teaspoons onto a baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes.

M&M Cookies

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon water

1 egg

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup M&M candies

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set this mixture aside. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening, brown sugar and white sugar. Mix in the vanilla extract, egg and water. Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredient mixture. Add in the M&M's. Drop by teaspoons onto a baking sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes.

Peanut Butter Cookies

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1 cup peanut butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cup bread flour

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar. Add in the egg, peanut butter, salt and baking soda and mix well. Sift in the flour. Add the vanilla extract. Roll the dough into balls. Put on a baking sheet and flatten with a fork. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes.

Baking With Love - Classic Cookies

Jill Seader is passionate about baking and about helping people tell their stories. Visit her website at YourBakingStory.com to hear her baking stories and to tell one of your own. Get free baking recipes and find the perfect recipe scrapbooking supplies.

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5 Diabetic Cookies and Cake Recipes

Being diabetic can be difficult, especially when it comes to eating the right foods. Here are 5 random cookie and cake recipes that a diabetic can enjoy as well as anyone else who is hungry.

DIABETIC CAKE

Cookie Bake

2 c. raisins

1 1/2 c. water

1/2 c. orange juice

1 c. unsweetened applesauce

2 eggs, beaten (or Eggbeaters)

2 tbsp. liquid sweetener

1/2 c. cooking oil

2 c. self-rising flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. vanilla

Slowly boil raisins in water until water is absorbed. Add orange juice, applesauce, sweetener, eggs and oil; mix well. Blend flour, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg; add to first mixture together with vanilla. Mix well. Pour into greased 9-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

OATMEAL & APPLESAUCE DIABETIC COOKIES

1/2 c. flour

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. allspice

1/2 c. oatmeal

1/2 c. raisins

1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce

1/4 c. cooking oil

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix flour, cinnamon, soda, salt, nutmeg, allspice, oatmeal and raisins. Add applesauce, egg, oil and vanilla. Mix to moisten and drop onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 12 minutes at 375 degrees.

DIABETIC DATE CAKE

1/2 c. butter

1 tbsp. liquid sweetener or 1/2 c. sugar

1 egg

1 c. finely sliced dates or raisins

1 1/2 c. diabetic applesauce

1 c. chopped pecans (optional)

1/4 tsp. cloves

1 tsp. vanilla

2 c. flour

2 tsp. soda

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Cream butter, egg and applesauce. Add liquid sweetener and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients together; add to creamed mixture. Beat until well blended. Turn into loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

DIABETIC DATE BARS

1 c. chopped dates

1/3 c. vegetable oil

1/2 c. orange juice

1/4 tsp. artificial sweetener

1 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 c. chopped pecans

1/4 c. Eggbeaters (or 1 egg)

1 tbsp. grated orange rind

Boil dates, oil, and orange juice for 5 minutes and cool; add rest of ingredients. Mix all together and spread in oiled 8 x 8 inch baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool before cutting. Yields 36 bars. Each bar: 56 calories. 7 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram protein, 3 grams fat, 8 mg. cholesterol, 12 mg. sodium.

DIABETIC COOKIES

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. quick oats

3/4 c. seedless raisins

1/2 c. orange juice

1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. grated orange peel

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 egg

3/4 c. nuts

Sugar substitute to taste

Mix all dry ingredients plus oats, raisins and orange peel. Add orange juice, egg, oil and vanilla. Then add nuts. Mix to moisten and drop onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 12 minutes at 375 degrees.

I hope you enjoy these delicious recipes.

5 Diabetic Cookies and Cake Recipes

Check out http://www.TheDiabeticCookbook.com for the complete cookbook.

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Cookie Cutters - Makes Baked Goods Creative

If you're like most people, you probably have a drawer in your kitchen filled to the brim with cookie cutters. Maybe you buy a couple every time you visit a kitchen store, or perhaps you have an overzealous aunt who is trying to get you to take up baking. Either way, you should probably put them to use considering they are so easy to use. Making decorative baked goods for gifts is a creative and personal way to let someone know that they are important to you. Even if you don't have a lot of fancy styles or shapes, making unique cookies is dependent upon the tools used to cut them as well as the skill needed to decorate them.

If you want to use cookies cutters to make a batch of fabulous cookies to gift, you need to think of the person you are making them for as well as the event or reason you are making them. Think of the person's hobbies, personality and profession. If there is no particular reason you are making cookies, you have even more leeway. Don't create any needless boundaries for yourself. After you have defined the reason why you are baking cookies and established for whom they are intended, it's time to start brainstorming.

Cookie Bake

Pull out the cookie cutters and try to imagine some possible themes. A triangle and circle can be combined to make a clown, a person in a birthday hat or an ice cream cone. You aren't trying to recreate the Mona Lisa, but you are trying to use the cookies to make recognizable iconic art. A container of vanilla frosting, some food coloring and craft brushes will go a long way. Start mixing up some colors, a few drops of food coloring at a time to create a palette to work with.

You should probably start off with a simple sugar cookie recipe. Using sugar cookies will provide a good consistent base and are fairly easy to decorate. After you have cut out your designs using the cookie cutters, bake the cookies and let them cool for a few minutes after done. You can take this time to make a few basic sketches, or even use the colored icing to try out a few mock ups. After the cookies have cooled down sufficiently, get started on decorating them.

At first, you may not be satisfied with the results. Decorating cookies for the first time will take some practice. You may even go through an entire batch and still not be happy with the end results. It is important to use cookie cutters to create the same design until you do it correctly. Trying out too many different designs will not help to hone your skills any faster. You will get there eventually. Once you have made a satisfactory batch, simply put them into a cookie tin. You can dress it up with a little bit of tissue paper, ribbon and a note card. Put the lid on the tin when complete, and your personalized gift is ready for delivery.

Cookie Cutters - Makes Baked Goods Creative

Cookie cutter information can be found all over the internet. Cookie cutters are the perfect gift for anyone who loves to eat delicious baked goods.

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5 Easy No-Bake Pie Crust Recipes

During the hot Summer months, I avoid heating up my kitchen with the oven. I prefer to make no-bake pie crusts, by using alternative ingredients.

You don't need to use a rolling pin, dough board, pastry blender or any of the traditional pie baking equipment. All you basically need are the ingredients, a large bowl, a measuring cup and of course, your pie pan.

Cookie Bake

These recipes are easy to make and best suited for refrigerated or frozen dessert-style pies. You will want to chill your pie crust for 1 hour (or until firm), before filling the pie shell with your pie filling.

Here are 5 of my favorite recipes.

Chocolate Cookie Crumb

24 chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed
1/4 c. butter, melted

Combine crushed cookie crumbs with melted butter until well mixed. Press mixture firmly into place into a 9" around pie pan.

Cornflake Crust

1 c. crushed cornflakes
1/4 c. sugar
6 tbsp. butter (melted)

Combine crushed cornflakes with sugar and butter, until well mixed. Spread the crumb mixture evenly and firmly into a 9" round pie pan.

Vanilla Wafer Crust

1 1/2 c. finely crushed vanilla wafers (about 39)
6 tbsp. butter, melted

Combine crushed wafers with butter, until well mixed. Spread the crumb mixture evenly and firmly into a 9" round pie pan.

Graham Cracker Crumb

1 c. crushed graham crackers
1/4 c. sugar
6 tbsp. butter (melted)

Combine crushed graham crackers with sugar and butter. Toss thoroughly to combine. Press mixture firmly into a 9" round pie pan.

Pretzel Crust

1 1/4 c. crushed pretzels (no salt)
1/4 c. sugar
6 tbsp. butter (melted)

Combine crushed pretzels with sugar and melted butter. Toss to thoroughly to combine. Press mixture firmly into a 9" round pie plate.

5 Easy No-Bake Pie Crust Recipes

Shelly Hill has been working from home in Direct Sales since 1989. Shelly is a Manager with Tupperware. You can contact Shelly at:
Web: http://www.classybusinesswomen.com
Recipe Blog: http://wahmshelly.blogspot.com

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Save Time with No-Bake Cookies

Whether you don't want to heat up the kitchen or the demands of getting the kids out the door are upon you, it's nice to have a few no-bake cookie recipes on hand. We thought we would share some of our favorites with you.

Cranberry Coconut Bars

Cookie Bake

This first recipe, Cranberry Coconut Bars, is more of a big kid cookie-it has too much fruit and too many nuts in it to suit most youngsters. But it so scrumptious and easy, we had to include it. If you are making a lunch for a spouse or a teenager, we think this will be a hit. Of course, it doesn't have to go in a lunch pail.

This is a microwave cookie that can be mixed right in the baking pan. How's that for convenience?

If you are not fond of dried cranberries, consider substituting dates, raisins, or chopped apricot pieces in this recipe.

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cup quick rolled oats

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut

1/2 cup walnut pieces

Directions

1. Place butter in an 8-inch square, microwave-safe baking dish. Microwave until the butter is melted.

2. Stir in the brown sugar until dissolved. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Press the mixture firmly into the dish.

3. Microwave for three to five minutes or until lightly browned. If your microwave does not have a rotating carousel, rotate the dish twice during cooking.

4. Let the cookies cool and then cut them into bars with a sharp knife. Wrap them individually to pack in a lunch.

This recipe will make sixteen 2 x 2-inch squares.

This next recipe makes a great kid cookie. It's almost confection-like but is so packed with energy and hearty oats that you won't mind giving your youngster a few. This cookie is best with a tall glass of milk.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Drops

This is a range-top cookie. Because it is a no-baker and so full of energy, it makes a great camping cookie.

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup butter

1/3 cocoa

2 1/2 cup quick oats

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Combine sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a boil. Cook for two more minutes stirring constantly and then remove the pan from the heat.

2. Stir in the peanut butter and vanilla, then the oats.

3. Let cool for several minutes and then drop spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Let the cookies cool completely before removing them from the waxed paper.

More No-Bakers

When thinking of no-bake cookies, don't forget the perennial favorites, Rice Krispie Treats and Frosted Graham Crackers. We're assuming everyone has the recipe for Rice Krispie Treats. Consider adding chocolate chips, dried fruit pieces, or cinnamon candies for a little pizzazz.

To make Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats, melt 2/3 cup chocolate chips (for a recipe calling for six cups of cereal) with the marshmallows and butter. This is a real favorite-our kids like these more than regular Rice Krispie Treats and they are no more difficult to make.

For Frosted Graham Crackers, simply pick your favorite frosting and sandwich that between two graham cracker squares. Pick a frosting with a powdered-sugar base that will set up firm and won't be messy.

Save Time with No-Bake Cookies

Dennis Weaver is the author of "How to Bake", a free 250-page e-book. Which is free at The Prepared Pantry The Prepared Pantry sells bread mixes and other baking mixes and offers a free Bread Center with recipes and techniques.

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The Origins of Biscuits and Cookies

The history of the biscuit follows that of sugar and it seems that the first biscuits were baked in Persia during the 7th Century BCE. It wasn't until the Moorish conquest of Spain and the crusades of the 12th and 13th centuries that Arabic cooking practices slowly came to Europe.

The modern biscuit, however, is a French invention, and by the 14th century it was possible to buy little fruit-filled wafers on the streets of paris. The name of these comes from a corruption of the Latin bis cotum (baked twice) which became biscuit in English and biscotti in Italian. Traditionally, such biscuits are hard and dry in texture and they're know (and commonplace) from recipe books going back at least to the Elizabethan era.

Cookie Bake

In contrast, cookies are Dutch in origin. The name itself derives from the Dutch word 'koekje' (small or round cake) which represents the small pieces of dough that Dutch bakers used to place in their ovens to test the temperature. However, the classic cookie, the 'cocolate chip cookie' was only invented in 1937 by Ruth Graves Wakefield (1905-1977), of Whitman, Massachusetts, who ran the Toll House Restaurant. This type of cookie didn't reach nationwide fame until 1939 when Betty Crocker popularized it in her radio show. Today, however, the chocolate chip cookie is by far the commonest baked and eaten cake in America.

Below you will find a recipe for a classic British biscuit and a classic American cookie so that you can bake these for yourselves and appreciate both the similarities and the differences between these classic baked goods.

Fruit Shrewsbury Biscuits

This is a classic and easy to bake lightly fruited biscuit, ostensibly originating in the Shrewsbury region of England.

Ingredients:
125g butter
150g caster sugar2 egg yolks
225g plain flour
freshly-grated zest of 1 lemon
60g currants
sugar to dust

Method:
Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy then add the egg yolks and beat together to combine.
Stir-in the flour, lemon zest and currants. Mix to a firm dough (add a little water if it's too stiff) then turn onto a lightly-floured surface and knead lightly. Roll out to about 5mm thick and cut into rounds with a 6cm pastry cutter with fluted edges.

Transfer the pastry rounds onto lightly-greased baking sheets and place in an oven pre-heated to 180°C, baking for about 15 minutes or until the biscuits are firm and only very slightly browned.

Remove from the oven and dust the top with coarse sugar then allow to cool on the baking trays for 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is the classic American chocolate chip cookie recipe made with brown and granulated sugars and hearkens back to the 1937 original.

Ingredients:
225g unsalted butter
150g granulated sugar
160g light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
320g plain flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
260g plain chocolate chips
120g walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped (optional)

Method:
Cream together the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Mix the eggs together in a bowl then add a little at a time to the butter mix, combining thoroughly after each addition. Now add the vanilla and beat in to combine.

In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the egg and butter mixture and beat thoroughly until completely incorporated. Add the chocolate chips (and the nuts, if using) about half way through mixing so that they're evenly distributed through the dough.

The dough should be fairly firm and if you find it too soft then cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes (this will set the butter and make the dough stiffer). When ready drop about 2 tbsp of the mixture per cookie onto a lightly-greased baking tray, allowing at least 8cm between each cookie for them to spread. Place in an oven pre-heated to 190°C and bake for about 12 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. Allow the mixture to cool for 10 minutes on the baking tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

I hope that you have learnt something about biscuit and cookie baking and that you will now want to know more about these baked goods.

The Origins of Biscuits and Cookies

Dyfed Lloyd Evans runs the Celtnet Recipes free recipes where you can find hundreds of biscuit and cookie recipes from all corners of the globe. Why not visit and try baking something new today?

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A Chocolate Chip Cookie Secret You Want to Know

Everybody wants to achieve perfection when baking chocolate chip cookies. It is the quintessential cookie. The cravings evoked at the mere mention of its name are powerful. Therefore, it is always so disappointing when they come out of the oven far less than perfect.

There are so many factors that come into play that affect the end baking result it is hard to know what went wrong. Ingredients, mixing process, and even the length of time the cookies were baked could thwart your best efforts and ruin your anticipated Utopian cookie. However, there is one simple little tip that could so drastically alter the results of your chocolate chip cookie, you will slap your forehead that you did not try it before. That is to chill your dough before baking the cookies. So simple and yet so important is this one overlooked step. We are always in such a rush to get to hot, gooey confectionery bliss that taking the time would be torture. But, a few hours in the fridge will promise that blissful moment to be even greater than imagined.

Cookie Bake

Chilling chocolate chip cookie dough does a couple of things. First, it marinates the flavors that go into a cookie dough. Have you ever noticed that lasagna tastes better the second day? Well, the same principle applies here but we are talking about cookie dough. The flavors will really pop and deliver a richer experience after sitting in the fridge for a bit. According to a New York Times article titled Perfection? Hint: It's Warm and Has a Secret (July 9, 2008), there are some interesting and yet dramatic physical effects on the cookie the longer it is chilled. They found that a thirty-six hour period in the refrigerator produced cookies with deeper shades of golden brown without longer time in the oven.

Second, the flour will really drink up all the moist ingredients that went into the dough after a prolonged time in the chill box. The longer the dough sits, the drier the dough gets, and that is actually a good thing. The chocolate chip cookie will have a better consistency right out of the oven. This is because of the hydration effect of sitting in the refrigerator and also because cold dough will spread less in a hot oven making a thicker cookie. And, don't worry about dry dough. The baked cookie will actually be moist and delicious.

There is one more factor to take into consideration when chilling the dough. Because the dough gets so dry during this time, it is best to form your cookies before you chill the dough. Try to scoop the dough after it has been thoroughly chilled and you will have a crumbly frustrating mess on your hands. Scooping them and chilling them on a cookie sheet is good. If you are going for the big chill and waiting the optimal thirty-six hours, an airtight container is best. You don't want those cookies to taste like last week's meat loaf.

Apparently Ruth Wakefield, inventor of the chocolate chip cookie, knew about this handy little tip from the very beginning. The New York Times also reveals that it was a regular practice of the Toll House Inn to chill their cookie dough. Somehow this piece of information failed to meet the final edit when the recipe went on the backs of Nestle's Chocolate in the 1930's. We should not feel too betrayed. Most great cooks are happy to share recipes, but rarely share all the tricks of the trade that make the end product great.

A Chocolate Chip Cookie Secret You Want to Know

Amanda Julander

There are even more chocolate chip cookie baking secrets at Choc-Chip-Cookie-Recipe.com!

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Tips for Cookie Baking

You decided to bake some cookies and at the last minutes a lot of questions arise. Oven temperature, chewy or crispy cookies, eggs size, and so forth. I tried in this short article to address a few common problems and give a quick solution or an explanation.

How to Make Chewy Cookies

Cookie Bake

The secret in making any cookie recipe into a soft and chewy cookie is to use Butter flavored Crisco instead of butter. If you want a crispy cookie use butter. Another trick to have chewier cookies is to cut your baking time by about 2 minutes (baked at the temperature stated on the recipe. Your cookies should be baked through but not yet crispy. You can also reduce your oven temperature by 25 degrees and bake for the time stated on the recipe. Always bake one batch according to the recipe the first time you try a new recipe and then make the adjustments based on how it came out. Make a note of your changes and keep your "customized" recipe for the next time.

Baking Soda or Baking Powder ? Baking powder is alkaline and needs to be mixed with acidic ingredients in order to react. Baking powder is baking soda with an added acidic ingredient, usually cream of tartar. In cookies, baking soda tends to make them spread out more and baking powder tends to make them rise and become puffy or more cake-like. If your recipe calls for baking soda, simply try to reduce it a bit.

Make Chilled Dough for Better Results

Make sure the dough is chilled and the baking sheets are cool before putting them in the oven. Otherwise the fat in the cookies will melt too soon, resulting in flat cookies regardless of the leavener you are using. Note that vegetable shortening (e.g. Crisco) melts a higher temperature than butter. You can try then to substitute half the butter with Crisco.

Beware of nutritional information

You might one day read a recipe that has, for example, 2 sticks of margarine or butter. The nutritional information will read '0' cholesterol. Why so? It is because the nutritional for recipes are calculated using the first ingredient when two ingredients are given. For example, when it says "margarine or butter", the nutritional are calculated using margarine. If butter were listed first, it would be calculated using butter.

Dark or Shiny Pan?

Remember the darker the finish on the pan, the faster the sheet will heat and the longer it will hold the heat. The shinier the pan you use, the longer it will take to heat up. Dark absorbs heat, so your bottoms will be done more quickly then the tops or centers. By the time your tops and centers are baked, your bottoms will be crispy if not downright burnt. Shiny reflects heat and your cookies will bake more evenly.

How many trays in the oven?

Don't try to crowd too many cookie sheets into your oven at once.. Your best results will be one tray at a time on the middle rack of the oven with plenty of room for the warm air to circulate around the tray. Don't keep opening your oven to peek. Every time you do that, you loose warmth and your oven will have to struggle to maintain the correct temperature.

The tips and answers that you just have read will give you a better reason to start cooking your own cookies at home. You will find all possible recipes in the various articles that are n the author's website. Before baking your cookies check the website for new recipes and ideas.

Tips for Cookie Baking

Dr. Freddy Maier has been marketing on Internet for the last 6 years. He markets several products but he also owns a website dedicated to Cookies and Cooking. You have to visit his site where you will find a daily changing information about cookies, baking and recipes. He sells an e-book with only cookie recipes. His website can be visited at: http://thecookierecipes.info

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Low Fat Cookies Recipes - Aunt Anne's Sugarless Cookies and Mix Fruit Cookies

Aunt Anne's Sugarless Cookies
With just a few changes from Aunt Anne's original recipe, this great-tasting cookie will fool even sugar-lovers.
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped dates
1 cup chopped apples, peeled and cored
1 cup frozen unsweetened pear-apple or apple concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup margarine or butter, softened
2 large egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

1. Boil raisins, dates, and apples in juice concentrate for 10 minutes. Add butter to mixture; let cool.
2. Place fruit mixture in mixing bowl. Add egg whites and vanilla; beat well.
3. Add flour, soda, and oats; beat well. Stir in nuts.
4. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick vegetable coating.
5. Bake in oven for 12 minutes or until lightly golden brown on top.
6. Yield: 48

Cookie Bake

Mixed Fruit Cookies
This recipe produces a soft, tasty cookie. Each cookie tastes slightly different, depending upon which combination of fruit from the Fruit Bits is scooped up.
3 tablespoon cold-pressed oil
3 large egg whites
3/4 cup frozen unsweetened apple juice concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup frozen unsweetened pineapple-orange concentrate, thawed
2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chopped toasted almonds, optional
1 6-oz package Sun Maid Fruit Bits

1. Beat oil and egg whites until light.
2. Add juice concentrates and beat until blended.
3. Add flour, oat, baking soda, and cinnamon and beat until well blended.
4. Stir almonds and Fruit Bits.
5. Place by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degree.
7. Yield: 4 dozen.

Low Fat Cookies Recipes - Aunt Anne's Sugarless Cookies and Mix Fruit Cookies

Sandy is an experienced mother of who loves cooking and baking. All her recipes are custom made for different needs. More of her healthy recipe sites:

Low Fat Recipes
Easy Cookies Recipes

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Drop Cookie Recipes For Diabetics

Most of you diabetics know that all our sweets cost more in the stores than the regular sweets do. If you are tired of buying the more expensive cookies, or you pass them up to save money, try these quick and easy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies that are sweetened with orange juice or the Orange Drop Cookies. The Orange Drop Cookies do have a small amount of sugar so remember that when adding these to your diet.

OATMEAL RAISIN DROP COOKIES

Cookie Bake

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup uncooked rolled oats

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp ground cloves

3/4 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed

3 tbsp egg substitute

2 tbsp margarine, melted

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray. Combine flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and cloves in a large bowl. Combine remaining ingredients in a medium bowl; blend well. Add to dry ingredients; blend well. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Remove from refrigerator and drop 2 tablespoonfuls dough 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. Bake 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely on wire racks.

Yield: 28 cookies

ORANGE DROP COOKIES

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups Splenda

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

1/3 cup unsweetened orange juice

1 tbsp grated orange peel

4 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

In a mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar, and Splenda together. Beat in eggs, orange juice, and orange peel. Combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and mix well. Drop by teaspoonfuls 2-inches apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Yield: 8 dozen

Note: These cookies do contain a small amount of sugar. Remember this when working them into your diet. Do not over indulge!

Enjoy!

Drop Cookie Recipes For Diabetics

For more of Linda's recipes and diabetic information go to http://diabeticenjoyingfood.squarespace.com
For her vintage recipes, visit her blog at http://grandmasvintagerecipes.blogspot.com

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Top 5 Christmas Cookies to Make For the Holidays

As the Christmas Holiday gets closer, it is time to start thinking about baking those Christmas cookies that everyone loves. They are nice to have around the house for those visitors that stop by to wish you a happy holiday. They are also nice to take to the office, to share during the coffee break, and they make nice gifts for friends and family alike.

Here are 5 all time favorites to try.

Cookie Bake

Apricot Coconut Delight
1- cup salted butter, softened
1- 8 oz cut sour cream
2- cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup apricot preserves (not jelly)
1/2 cup chopped pecans or other nuts of your choice.

1. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sour cream until light and fluffy. Combine the salt and flour and gradually add to the creamed mixture. Mix well. Divide the dough into four equal parts. Wrap each part in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for from 3 to 4 hours or until easy to handle.

2. In a small bowl, combine the apricot preserves, coconut flakes and chopped nuts. set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each portion of sough until it is 1/8 inch thick.

3. Cut into 2-1/2 inch squares, spread each square with a rounded teaspoon of the apricot mixture. Very carefully fold one corner over the filling. Moisten the opposite corner with water and fold over the first corner to seal.

4. Place on an ungreased baking sheet, about 1/2 inch apart. Bake at 350 degrees for 17 - 20 minutes or until lightly brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Haystacks
2+1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2+ 1/2 cups butterscotch chips
1- 12 oz. container of chopped nuts. Pecan or peanuts work great.
8- ounces of chow mein noodles.

Melt butterscotch and chocolate chips in the top half of a double boiler over hot water. (Bring the water to a boil, then stop the boil and work with the hot water.) Make sure that the water does not get into the melting chips. Stir in the nuts, then the noodles. Using a teaspoon, drop spoonfuls onto a waxed paper lined cookie sheet. Let cool. Store covered in the refrigerator.

Peanut Butter Cookies
1+1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large Egg
1/2 cup super fine sugar
1/2 cup salted butter
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (you can change up with chunky peanut butter if you like chunky better)
1/2 cup brown sugar.

1. Shift together flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
2. In another bowl Cream butter with sugar, brown sugar and peanut butter, creaming after each addition until light and fluffy.
3. Add the egg to the peanut mixture and mix thoroughly.
4. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat until smooth. (if using chunky peanut butter, mix allowing for the peanuts.
5. Drop the mixture onto a ungreased baking sheet, one teaspoon full at a time, spaced about 2 inches apart.
6. Flatten with a fork, then turn the fork 180 degrees and flatten again to make a crisscross pattern on the top of the cookie.
7. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 9 - 11 minutes. Remove and place on a cookie rack to cool.

Pecan Meltaways
1 cup of butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2+1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chopped pecans
4 ounces granulated pecans for coating
4 ounces confectioners' sugar for coating.

1. In a large bowl, cream the butter, 1/2 cup of confectioners' sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine the flour and salt: gradually add it to the creamed mixture and mix well. Refrigerate until well chilled.
2. Remove from refrigerator, roll into 1 inch balls and place onto ungreased baking sheets.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.
4. While they are baking, mix the 4 ounces of confectioner's sugar and the 4 ounces of granulated pecans together.
5. Roll the warm cookies in this mixture, remove and let cool. Once cool, roll them in the mixture once again. These are sure to become one of your favorite cookies.

Lemon Drop Cookies
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Large Egg
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel. (This is sometimes available at your local spice shop, or you can make your own.)
1 tablespoon half and half
1+1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 ounces (1/2 cup) crushed lemon drops
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, lemon peel and half and half.
2.Combine the flour, lemon drops,baking powder and salt, gradually adding it to the cream mixture, and mix well.
3.Drop, by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets, about 3 inches apart.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges start to brown lightly.
5.Remove from oven, let cool for 2 to 3 minutes before placing on wire racks to complete the cooling process.
6.If you can find them, it is nice to add a small candied lemon slice on top of each cookie. Ask your local bakery, they use them to decorate cakes and might be willing to sell you some. You will need about 4 dozen, as this recipe makes about that many cookies.

The Holiday Season is a great time to gather the family in the Kitchen and bake cookies together. If you have children, here is where those memories are made. Be sure to make enough, because they have a way of disappearing before you know it.

Top 5 Christmas Cookies to Make For the Holidays

Born and raised in the Wine Country of Northern California, William Chaney is a Retired Chef and Wine Connoisseur. He splits his time between his home in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and his home in Wisconsin. He writes about Wines of the world and foods of the world. Visit him at http://WineLoversSecrets.com where you can learn more about wine, get food recipes and sign up for his new letter.

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Cookie Gift Bouquets - Make Your Own

A cookie gift bouquet makes a great surprise treat for anyone who likes cookies. It can be as simple or intricate as you'd like, depending on your abilities and time. You can even create personalized cookies to make your gift more memorable. A cookie gift bouquet makes a great project with the kids for a special occasion (Father's Day, Birthday, Grandparents gift, etc.).

The first thing you'll need for your bouquet is a mug. It is best to use a standard ceramic mug with a solid base. You can either purchase a new mug for your occasion or use your gift recipient's favorite coffee mug for a special treat. Buy a small piece of floral foam, available at most craft stores, and cut the foam in the shape of cylinder to fit in the mug. It should be snug, but you shouldn't have to force the foam into the mug. Cut the foam to be about an inch shorter than the height of the mug. Place some color-coordinated shred in the mug and stuff it around the cracks of the foam so that it remains in place.

Cookie Bake

The next step is to bake some cookies for your bouquet. If you are pressed for time or not a great baker, buy some fresh cookies at a local bakery in your recipient's favorite flavors. Depending on the size of the cookies, 3 to 6 will likely be plenty. Wrap each cookie in colored plastic wrap to match your gift theme. Attach wooden bamboo skewers to the back of each cookie using clear tape.

If you have time, and are a little more daring, you can try to make a decorated cookie gift bouquet. For this bouquet, you will use sugar cookie dough. However, you will need to attach the bamboo skewers to the cookie dough before baking the cookies. The cookies should be at least twice as thick as the diameter of the skewer. Once you have made your cookie shapes, carefully insert the skewer from the bottom of your design so the skewer is about one-third of the way into the cookie. Because these cookies need to be thicker, you may have to adjust your cooking time and temperature from what you normally use. Once the cookies are cooled, it is time for cookie decorating. If the kids are helping, this is a great project for them. Use decorative icing to write personal messages on the cookies, or coat with icing and then press candies, sprinkles, etc. into the iced cookies. Bake a few extra cookies and let the kids pick out their favorites when you're done decorating them. It is best not to wrap the decorated cookies in plastic because the icing may be ruined. If you are not assembling your bouquet right away, put the cookies in an airtight container to keep fresh until you are ready.

To finish your bouquet, all you need to do is carefully push the wooden skewers into the floral foam. You may need to trim the skewers to make them the right height. Make each cookie a different height for the best presentation. Attach a small bow to the mug and you're all done. Whatever the occasion, your recipient will love to receive your home made cookie gift bouquet!

Cookie Gift Bouquets - Make Your Own

Bill Smith is the owner of Gourmet-Cookie-Bouquets. Visit us online the next time you want to send a unique and memorable cookie gift. http://www.gourmet-cookie-bouquets.com has hundreds of cookie baskets, bouquets, tins and more for any occasion or holiday.

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